Canoe Niagara 2013 has helped build a different kind of future for Welland.

As a smart move, the city has made an investment in sports tourism. The newly-built Welland International Flatwater Centre (WIFC) played host to 63 countries and more than 1,000 participants over the course of two weeks. The event brought some international attention to Welland, which can only help boost their tourism in the years to come.

The [WIFC] might just be the best course in Canada — Hungarian paddler Bence Dombvári

Canoe Niagara also made history in the sport of Canoe Sprint by being the first World Championships to include an Under 23 age category.

As a free event, Canoe Niagara 2013 encouraged community participation and celebration. We were there and enjoyed the sport festivities and international culture ourselves.

As exciting as Canoe Niagara was, we are not technical sports people here at Embrace Niagara (unless it’s hockey – then talk to Dan). If you want the racing statistics, please visit their link here for that information.

What I’m more interested in is discussing what Canoe Niagara will do for the region.

Not only does Canoe Niagara bring a lot of attention to Welland, it’s also helping gather the Niagara community. There’s a sense of pride growing and that effect will carry down in our youth.

Do you remember your childhood ambitions? How many times you switched career ideas, hobbies, or even idols? Kids are easily influenced and it can take the smallest thing to send them careening off onto another path. Because of this it’s important to show them the world, to show them what’s out there, and to expose the possibilities of life because you never know where their true passions might lie.

After watching Canoe Niagara 2013, which included some Olympic medalists, I’d like to think that somewhere in Niagara there’s a kid with a brand new idea of becoming a kayaker or canoer. Maybe they’re dreaming of winning the Olympics or participating in Canoe Niagara 2023.

Events like Canoe Niagara are a spark to youth and to our future. They help shape our culture and are of the utmost importance.